Dogon Hair Pin with Frog, Based

A frog, at the top of a pin, in the hair of someone in Mali.

Dogon metalworkers made this iron hair pin in the 20th century, and Dogon smiths often finished such ornaments with animal figures, the frog among them. The frog crouches at the very top, its rounded body and legs gathered close, above a short decorated section and a coiled band wrapping the shaft. The long, slender pin descends below to a fine point.

The surface is dark, with lighter highlights on the frog where it has been handled over time. Eight and a half inches.

Hop on in.